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Kai Tiaki : the journal of the nurses of New Zealand, Volume VIII, Issue 4, 1 October 1915, Page 171

Nurse L. Lind, writes from Service d'Evacuations Fluviales, Peniche Hopital No. 1, Secteur Postal 15 Dunkerque, August 24th : — lt seems years since I wrote as so many things have happened since then, the most important for us being that we have been shelled out of Bergues, where we Were so happy with our little hospital. All our patients were evacuated as between shells from long-range guns m the daytime, and bombs from taubes at night, they were anything but safe. Then after a few Weeks of a more or less exciting (but always interesting) life m cellars and so on, we went to Paris Plage, near Boulogne, for two weeks and it was a great change, sea-coast and everything so peaceful. Since then we have been working on the only two French Hospital barges, transporting wounded from the Nieuport vicinity to Bourbourg, which is wlel supplied with French hospitals. For the moment we are not at all busy ; but always expecting a rush, the life is very novel and interesting. Miss Hitchcock and I are on one barge ; the Frenchmen with whom we have to work are kindness itself to us. We have a tiny cabin with two bunks,

a big wardrobe, and a folding table on which we dine. It is all very tight and like a doll's house. One of our chief troubles is water ; there i > none fit to drink, and washing water is yellow and brackish and salt, however these are only minor difficulties. We can carry 52 at a time down the Canal, having 16 stationary beds, and 36 swing ones. We halt some time at Bourbourg where everything is disinfected, mattresses, blankets, and all for the next trip. A great many of our patients have been for a year already in the trenches, and they are remarkably clean considering but there is an appalling lot of " live stock " on them, especially the Arab patients. ... We have baen working in France now nearly a year and are quite habituated to their mode of life, and food, and I for. one shall b^ very sorry to say goodbye to " La Belle France." We have kept in touch with events in New Zealand chi fly from illustrated New Zealand papers, sent us by the Bank in London, and have seen news and photos of members of our contemporaries in Wellington Hospital, who are in different parts. ... I hear occasionally from Mrs. Holgate ; she was very kind in helping us with funds and linen to stock ouv typhoid hospital in Bergues. M.H.S. Valdivia. Go wes Bay, Isle of Wight, April 1st, 1915. Dear — — • , Thank you very much for the copies of " Kat Tiaki " which I have re ceived quite safely. It is such a pleasure to get them and read about the doings of our fellow-workers. The English sisters enjoy them very much and were surprised that we had such a good magazine. We had a very good voyage over, reaching Falmouth on December 7th, where a boat-train was waiting to take us to London. It amused me very much to see all the tiny fields hedged around for miles and miles. I called on the High Commissioner for N.Z., and he arranged for me to call at the War Office. It was fortunate Miss K. Berry was in England, as the Matron-in Chief at the War Office wanted a testimonial direct from the training hospital matron and I received this appointment as soon as they received Miss Berry's letter, This ship was a

new French passenger boat running from Marseilles to South America and was taken over by the British Government and converted into an hospital ship with 600 cots, divided into 8 wards and an up-to-date little theatre. The staff comprises Colonel-in-Chief, 6 doctors, matron, 12 sisters and 42 orderlies. The matron is the only regular Army sister, the others being civil nurses, on duty since the war,, m military hospitals m England. The orderlies are all members of St. Andrew, m Scotland, and are a fine body of men and very willing to learn their work. Our headquarters are Southampton, and we- were anchored opposite Netley Hospital for some time ; but now our anchorage is Cowes Bay. The work comes m spasms, two or three trips running and then a spell for a week. Havre and Boulogne are our ports of call for the wounded. The loading and unloading of the wounded soldiers is very well carried out. The R.A.M.C. and Red Cross stretcher bearers are very well trained and carry out their duties splendidly. On our last trip we took the wounded to Watlin, the worst of them being Irishmen. The poor fellows were so badly wounded and the shrapnel wounds are ghastly things, six died on the way ; one from tetanus and five from shrapnel wounds. Two operations were also performed, one by amputation (gaseous gangrene), the other appendectomy with peritonitis. When we arrived m Watlin, Sir Thomas Miles came down to the ship and had them sent to his hospital. The work is very hard while it lasts ; but we are always sure of a rest on our return voyage to France, as we only go 12 knots. The H. S. Astris that was fired at by a German submarine is anchored close beside us and she is a fine ship with 1,000 cots. It is quite a sight at night when all the lights are on the ships. There are green electric lights all around the caff rail (I think it is the caff rail) and bright head lights on each Red Cross, it really looks like a fireworks display as there are seven Hospital Ships anchored at present. Thousands of soldiers have been embarking at Southampton each da^, and they pass silently along m the dark every night, and it is wonderful how they all reach France safely. Portsmouth is only three miles from here, so we see the torpedoes, sub marines, and hydroplanes out on trial,

and it is all very interesting. The weather has been bitterly cold, and inland plenty of snow has fallen ; but to-day the sun is brilliant, so we are all basking in it. We go ashore in turn, so have a chance of seeing the beauty spots. The primroses are out in flower and the beautiful trees are budding. S. Carrie Jones. N.Z. Hospital Ship No. 1, Aug. 15. I have enjoyed my trip over on the " Maheno ' ] so much; we have had exceptionally good weather. It has of course been most terribly hot for the last week or so ; but we have been fortunate enough to have a breeze all the time in the Red Sea. We all enjoyed Adelaide very much ; but Colombo ! What a beautiful place it is. Both it and Kandy seem like one large beautiful garden. The flowers and the coloured leaves were just heavenly. I have never seen anything like the hybiscus, both single and double. I am so glad that I have been chosen to remain on the permanent staff of the boat. Beatrice C. McLean. Just to let you know how very well I am now. We are busy on the ship, but enjoying it all very much. Louie McNie. Colombo, August 15. Sister Brooke writes to say that three nurses have been added to the staff of the Hospital Ship : Nurse Edmondstone, Wellington Hospital ; Nurse B. McLean, Palmerston North ; Nurse Cumniings, Auckland ; Nurse Garrard, Launceston, has taken the place of Nurse McCosh Smith, who has been transferred to the passenger nurses, and who has been very sea-sick and has not felt well since being on the boat. The other Trentham nurses are all well now. Nurse Watt has been in bed since we left Colombo, with appendicitis. She is better now and was up yesterday." Writing later : "We have stopped at Suez. Thirty-two of the nurses are to go to Cairo by the 7 a.m. train to-morrow, the remainder come up with us to Port Said, to-morrow. The North Island nurses with the exception of Nurse Watt and Nurse Edgerley, who is staying to keep her company, go to Cairo. Sister Willis is going in charge."